Santa Cruz County can now apply for roughly $13.7 million in federal disaster recovery funds for “urgent need” infrastructure repairs and mitigation projects tied to the 2023 winter storms.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a resolution authorizing county officials to seek the funding through the Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery program, or CDBG-DR, connected to presidential disaster declaration DR-4699.
The storms, which struck between February and July 2023, caused widespread flooding, road damage and infrastructure failures across the county, including in the Pajaro Valley. The federal disaster declaration opened the door to long-term recovery funding administered by the state.
Santa Cruz County qualified for a total allocation of $13,698,650 based on a state unmet needs assessment. The county’s share is part of a $126.1 million statewide infrastructure allocation. While the funding is noncompetitive, the county must submit formal applications showing that each proposed project meets eligibility requirements under the state’s action plan.
Several of the largest projects would affect the Watsonville area.
The disaster-repair portion includes $6.9 million for improvements to Paulsen Road, a seasonally closed roadway that has experienced repeated flooding. The project would raise the roadbed and install new culverts to improve drainage and maintain access to nearby schools and a county park.
Mitigation funds — intended to reduce the risk of future disasters — include $1.7 million for the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency’s Reach 5 levee project along Salsipuedes Creek. The funding would increase the height of a planned floodwall by 1.5 feet, providing 100-year flood protection to the College Road neighborhood.
Nearly $3.85 million is slated for a countywide culvert replacement program, including many culverts serving Pajaro Valley roadways. County officials said aging culverts are a leading cause of roadway failures and localized flooding during storms. Final project sites will be selected in coordination with state officials based on condition assessments and risk of failure.
Additional mitigation funding includes $500,000 to replace a failing culvert beneath Capitola Road at Leona Creek, which serves nearby affordable housing and the broader community.
In Davenport, $685,000 would go toward upgrades to the community’s drinking water system. The project includes installing a new water main, water meters and an isolation valve designed to improve fire protection, allow targeted water shutoffs during emergencies and encourage conservation in a drought-prone area.
Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, whose district includes much of the Pajaro Valley, said the investment responds to long-standing community concerns.
“This is the kind of investment Pajaro Valley families have been asking for and deserve,” Hernandez said. “Today’s action is about making sure we don’t relive that damage again and that our roads, neighborhoods, and flood protection systems are strengthened for the future.”
CDBG-DR funds can reimburse eligible project delivery costs, including limited staff time, and do not require a local funding match. Projects must be completed within five years.
County officials said they will return to the board at a future meeting with an update on the application and, if funding is awarded, a final list of approved projects.
